govern · minister

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 宰 relates to governing or leading an undertaking; its on-reading is さい.
• Basic usage: 宰相（さいしょう） means a chief or prime minister, while 主宰（しゅさい） refers to leading a group or to its director.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A minister and the leader of a group
  • 宰相 refers to a minister advising a king or pursuing reforms in a novel. 宰 comes first in this word, which is read さいしょう.
  • 読書会を主宰している means leading a book club. In 文芸誌の主宰, the word refers to the person directing a literary magazine.